The Ones
by frustrateddalekalarm
Summary: A collection of one-shots, set in my 'Bumper Book of Love' 'verse. Featuring university, a wedding and romance novels.
1. Where Chuck's Roommate Gets It On

**A/N: **Just a heads up, I'm calling this complete, though there are more stories to come, simply because I don't know how many more stories there will be, or if this will ever be really, completely complete. Given that the whole thing is a collection of one-shots (just because I'd like to keep them together and easy to find), it could potentially continue to be updated forever, if I feel so inclined and people actually like what I write. So there you go. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. All mistakes are my own and spell checks. I own nothing. Reviews are likes words from God. And all that other nonsense.

**Summary: **Chuck never wanted to be in the dorms, but he thinks he lucked out with Castiel as a roommate. Even if having Castiel meant he was apparently also stuck with Dean.

* * *

Chuck never wanted to be in the dorms. He's never been his best around other people, always afraid that he's going to do or say something stupid, which leads him to drink, and that has the unfortunate side effect of him saying or doing something stupid. And so goes the vicious cycle. So no, he never wanted to have to share a room with a complete stranger, and a building with a whole group of complete strangers, but he thinks he lucked out with Castiel as a roommate.

Sure, Castiel is impatient and generally unsympathetic and doesn't seem to get Chuck's jokes, but he's also quiet and neat and keeps to himself, and Chuck appreciates that immensely, because if it weren't for one thing, he wouldn't even notice Castiel was there.

That one thing just happens to be Dean.

For the first week of university, Chuck was worried that every time he opened the door to his room he would walk in to find Dean and Castiel having graphic, loud sex on his bed. But after the thirtieth or so time swinging that door open with his hand covering his delicate, gay-sex-virgin eyes to find the two of them either relaxing, or doing homework, or watching movies together on Castiel's bed, Chuck realises something. That they aren't together.

And really, Chuck finds that almost sickening.

Just to look at them, you wouldn't think they were right for each other. Where Castiel is pale and skinny and quiet and socially awkward, Dean is a veritable man of a man. He drinks and talks and fights, and he's big, tanned and athletic looking. He may have the facial structure girls would kill for, but compensates heavily for his looks with an alpha-male attitude to rival any Chuck has seen in the movies.

Truthfully, Chuck had been a little afraid of him the first time he'd opened the door of his room to find Dean glaring back at him. Chuck had managed to squeak out a high-pitched "yes?" but Dean had only looked past his head and grinned at Castiel, his whole face softening, before sighing "Hey Cas. It's taken me ages to find you." Then he pushed past Chuck without even acknowledging his presence.

That's why they work so well together. Because fundamentally, they're the same; both immensely private and solitary people who are drawn together into their own little world whenever they're in a room together, in a way that Chuck knows every romance movie he's ever seen tries to replicate. You only have to spend five minutes alone with them to see how ridiculously in love they are, and Chuck's had plenty of minutes.

The point is, Dean spends every spare moment in Chuck's dorm room and Castiel _looks_ at Dean, when he only stares at everyone else and the fact that they're not together makes Chuck want to force their faces together until they just kiss, Goddamnit.

Because, despite the short amount of time he's known him, Chuck genuinely likes Castiel. He's brutally honest and literal, but in a way that somehow manages to be funny rather than annoying, and he resects every one of Chuck's weird rules that stop him having panic attacks or bouts of excessive drinking, and never asks for anything in return. But sometimes Chuck sees something in his eyes, something he's trying to hide behind an impassive face, and something he never sees when Dean and Castiel are relaxing, or doing homework, or watching movies together on Castiel's bed.

Chuck really just wants Castiel to be happy. And if being around Dean helps him forget that he's sad, then being _with_ Dean is probably the ticket to that happiness. So Chuck decides to try his hand at matchmaking.

He's only known Castiel a few weeks, and they've barely spoken more than a few sentences to each other after Chuck had explained his rules for the room and Castiel had nodded along, so he knows that talking to Castiel about Dean is completely the wrong way to go about it. He wouldn't even know where to start. _"Hey, I know we don't talk but I watch you with your friend and I'd really just like you two to kiss right now" _sounds a little creepy, so Chuck decides to go for the more subtle approach.

At first, he takes to leaving his box of condoms on top of his bedside table, instead of the draws, and leaving his skin mags sticking half out from under his bed, rather than tucked away neatly at the back of his cupboard. Chuck figures that if Dean and Castiel see them lying around the dorm room, they'll talk about them, which will then turn to talking about sex, which will then somehow lead to the act. He's a little fuzzy on the details, but decides it's as good idea as any. However, when Dean sees the first magazine poking out from under Chucks bed, he only picks it up, skims through a little, and then looks over at Castiel and bursts out laughing, whereas Castiel pulls Chuck aside as soon as Dean has left the room for the night, and with his eyes fixed firmly on the condom packets resting on the table, asks him if he could possibly be more discreet about his sexual exploits.

Chuck realises that sex obviously isn't the way to approach this problem. Castiel is probably the biggest virgin to ever virgin if he can be completely oblivious to the way that Dean looks at him, and either Dean is nobly respecting his friends boundaries, or is repressing the crap out of his feelings for another man.

Not defeated, Chuck decides to try a different approach. The next day he goes to the video shop and hires out the first five romantic films he can find. That night, while Dean and Castiel were sitting on either side of Castiel's bed with textbooks spread around them, Chuck watches three of the movies, one straight after the other. Dean is vocal about his dislike of chick flicks, and during the credits for the third movie stomps out of the dorm, complaining about Chuck's taste in both film and life. Chuck is about to turn his laptop off when Castiel perches on his bed next to him, looking curiously at the movie next on Chuck's pile. Chuck puts it on, thinking that at least he can make Castiel see reason, and then maybe things will progress from there, but halfway through the film, when Chuck turns to Castiel and asks why the two lead characters, who are so obviously in love with one another, don't just hurry up and get together, Castiel only shrugs. "I'm sure that if they truly loved one another, they would just say." Chuck despairs of the task he has set out for himself. If Castiel can't see and in-your-face, fabricated romance, then how will he ever pick up on a more quiet, real life one.

So Chuck decides to give up on subtlety all together. The next time Dean and Castiel are standing together in the hallway, he pretends to trip, knocking in to Dean and shoving him into Castiel's space. Castiel, to his credit, catches Dean, but then only releases him, and they continue their conversation as if a few seconds ago Castiel hadn't clutched Dean tightly around the waist. The next day, when they are jammed together on Castiel's bed watching a movie on his laptop, practically connected all along their sides, Chuck wonders aloud if they could possibly sit any closer, and then leaves the room, saying he's going to give them some 'alone time,' complete with implied quotation marks.

This continues for about three days with no progress. Even when Chuck accidentally leaves his iPod on in his room playing REO Speedwagon and comes back to find Dean lying on Castiel's bed, humming along to "Can't Fight this Feeling," Castiel doesn't seem to acknowledge the very prominent message in the lyrics, but complains loudly about how much he hates the song. Chuck realises that he's never heard Castiel say he _hates _something before that.

So it is with a heavy heart that Chuck approaches his dorm room about a month and a half into the school year. Nothing he can think of has gotten Dean and Castiel to confess to their feelings for one another, and he mentally resigns himself to watching the worlds most painful love story play out before his eyes. It's two o'clock, and normally Chuck would have a class, but the lecturer had taken sick halfway through the lesson, so it finished early.

Chuck swings open the door to his room and freezes. Dean and Castiel are laying on Castiel's bed. Or more accurately, Dean is laying on Castiel's bed, and Castiel is laying on Dean, and they're connected at the mouth and Castiel has one hand shoved up Dean's shirt and Chuck is pretty sure he doesn't want to see where the hand Dean hasn't got fisted in Castiel's hair is. Chuck breaths in sharply, and Castiel rolls off Dean so fast he ends up hitting the floor hard and having to stare up at Chuck, while Dean pulls a pillow over his face and groans.

Chuck lets out a little whoop of joy. His efforts have paid off. Dean and Castiel were making out on Castiel's bed, and even if that wasn't anything he particularly wanted to see, he's happy with it for a trade-off to know they're finally together. Dean removes the pillow from his face, and he and Castiel give Chuck identical looks of confusion. Chuck manages not to get caught up in the fact that they even pull the same facial expressions, and grins at the pair of them.

"Congrats, guys. You don't know how happy I am to see you together."

Neither look any less confused, but Castiel seems to have gotten over the shock of being interrupted. "I'm sorry, Chuck. We were trying to be discreet with our relationship. But if I had've known you wanted to watch..."

"I would've made Cas get another roommate." Dean finishes for him, and suddenly everything makes a horrible, horrible sense to Chuck. Why Dean had been searching Castiel out so early into their first day of university, and why Dean spends every spare moment in Chuck and Castiel's dorm room. Why they sit pressed together on Castiel's bed when there is plenty of space to spread out. Why they were both so unaffected by Chuck's attempts to set them up. Why they both looked so surprised when Chuck said...oh God. Chuck feels his face go bright red, and tries to force out some words, of apology or denial or something, but all he can get out are a few broken sounds. He slams the door shut and sprints down the hall to the university library. His only hope is that he can read enough that he'll forget what just happened. Either that, or maybe there's a movie there that explains exactly what to do when you accidentally tell your roommate that you want to watch him make out with his boyfriend.


	2. With The Family Fun Day

**A/N:** Okay, so, you know how there's those great writers who update all the time and they're wonderful and fantastic. Yeah, I'm afraid that isn't me. I'm terrible at remembering to write, so for that I apologise. Multiple times. Having said that, I haven't had the internet for a few days, so there's been nothing to distract me, and I've actually finished this story and started another one. So yay for me! And yay for you too, I guess, if you still want to read my nonsense.

Anyway, the usual disclaimers apply. I own nothing. All mistakes are my own and spell checks. Reviews are everything good in the world.

**Summary:** Dean and Cas are unknowing muses, and Chuck just wants to write his magnum opus while he's still young enough to appreciate it.

* * *

Chuck doesn't know what's wrong with his novel. That's not entirely true. Chuck knows exactly what's wrong with his novel - he'd never thought he'd be writing a romance book - what he doesn't know, is why he can't make it work, despite the fact that his story is literally being played out in front of his eyes. He couldn't have asked for better muses than Dean and Castiel, seeing as they're the perfect mixture of both incredibly in love, and incredibly unobservant when it come to emotional matters, and have no idea Chuck's been writing about a stylised version of them for about a month now. But for some reason, Chuck feels like there's something his story is missing.

He knows that he should sit down at his computer and figure it out, but right now, he's still too shell-shocked from his mothers visit to do more than lie on his bed, staring at the ceiling. She had found his stash of alcohol and skin mags at the bottom of the suitcase she was helping him unpack for the start of the new semester, and there were two things that Chuck now knew. One, that he was never going to escape the ringing in his ears from that scolding, and two, that he's never going to be able to leave his dorm again without being laughed at.

Dean doesn't seem to be put off my Chuck's previous humiliation. He's practically buzzing with excitement, his leg bouncing up and down where it's pressed against Castiel's. Castiel isn't sharing Dean's excitement. In fact, if Chuck didn't know Castiel better, hadn't lived with him for a semester and didn't know that his facial expressions weren't anything like those of a normal human being, he's almost say he was brooding.

Chuck wishes he weren't so busy mentally writing his last will and testament for when he inevitably dies of embarrassment, because there is actually some emotional drama happening right now. But he can't sit down and write, because he can't get passed the "Chuck Shirley! Porn and alcohol? We are going to have a long talk about this!" that is playing over and over again in his head.

Dean doesn't seem to notice Castiel's mood. "I can't believe they're coming up to see me. I mean, I thought they were mad when I told them I wasn't coming home for the holidays, but this is so much better. Should I clean my room? Or can they just hang here?"

With that last question, he looks sideways at Castiel, and must see something in his expression that Chuck doesn't because suddenly he looks absolutely stricken. "Oh, crap, Cas. I'm so sorry. Man, I'm the worst boyfriend ever."

That snaps Chuck out of the replay in his head. Dean doesn't use the boyfriend word very often, neither of them do, only when he feels like he's done something awful, and Chuck wants to sit up and pay attention, because this must be what Castiel tries to hide whenever his face goes blank. But if he moves, they would figure out that he's listening in.

Castiel shrugs. "It's okay, Dean."

Dean groans. "No, it's not, Cas. Couldn't Gabriel make it?"

Castiel shakes his head. "No. Gabriel has to work. He's having trouble finding someone who is willing to work for him. But it's fine, Dean. I'm looking forward to seeing Sam too." Then he twitches the sides of his lips up, and Chuck hasn't seen Castiel smile many times, so he has next to nothing to compare it to, but he can tell that it's forced.

Dean wraps his arm around Castiel's shoulders and pulls him in even closer, so they're practically sitting on each other. "Sammy'll be happy to see you too. He's be asking about you." Castiel's smile seems a little less fake.

They sit like that for the next few minutes. Dean's mood has dropped considerably, and his eyes flick continuously from the closed door to Castiel's dark hair, but Castiel actually seems less upset than he did before the slightly cryptic conversation. Chuck decides it's okay to stop faking disinterest when he hears footsteps approaching the room, and the anticipation returns to Dean's expression.

Castiel doesn't make any move to distance himself from Dean, and Chuck can't believe it took him so long to to figure out that they were together. His embarrassment of a few hours ago is forgotten as there is a knock on the door. He's too interested in know who it is that has got Dean so excited. Chuck wonders if he's too invested in his roommate and his boyfriend. Then again, it's not like Chuck has a whole lot going on in his life.

Chuck watches the way Dean's arm tightens around Castiel, either to comfort him, or through excitement, he's not sure, just before he calls out "Just open it." The door swings open to reveal tall boy, obviously younger than Dean but having recently gone through a growth spurt, leaving him skinny and awkward looking.

Chuck figured that this must be Sam. Dean never stops talking about his little brother, how smart he is, and how good, and though to Chuck he looks just like any other floppy haired fifteen year old, he can see the truth to it in Sam's whole body, which looks unmistakably happy to see Castiel and Dean.

Chuck smiles at the kid, but even so, he doesn't miss the way that Dean's face falls for a split second before he calls out "Hey Sammy," echoed by Castiel's "Hello Sam."

Sam doesn't seem to miss it either. "Hi Dean, Cas. Sorry Dean, dad couldn't make it."

Dean shrugs, as if the information is of no consequence to him, but Chuck thinks he understands. As much as he's heard about Sam, he doesn't think he knows anything about Dean's father. "That's okay, Sam. How'd you get here anyway?"

Sam grins, and it's almost bordering on manic. "I got a lift." He steps into the room and is followed by a second kid, this one as pale and as ruffled looking as Castiel. For a minute, Chuck doesn't understand what's going on, if maybe Sam is bringing the surprise boyfriend to meet his brother, a coming out and a meet the family all at once, but he hears a sharp, chocked intake of breath, and looks over to see that it's coming from Castiel, who's staring at the kid. Chuck has watched Castiel stare at everyone he meets, but he's never seen this stare. He looks thrilled and overwhelmed and scared all at once.

"Hello, Castiel. It's good to see you." the kid says, and Castiel makes several aborted movements, to stand, to smile, possibly to hide, but finally manages to breath out "Inias."

Dean practically throws Castiel off him as he leaps to his feet and strides over to the kid. He only hesitates for a second before wrapping him up in what has got to be one of the most desperate hugs Chuck has ever seen. Chuck has no idea who this Inias guy is, but he's pretty sure Dean shouldn't be hugging him like that where his boyfriend can see.

Castiel recovers quickly, and gets up to stand next so Sam, who is just smiling at everyone, even Chuck, even though they've never met before, haven't even been introduced, and Chuck really wishes he had his laptop right now, even if he only used it to hide behind rather than writing, because man is he feeling like the awkward fifth wheel right now.

Dean pulls away from the slightly one-sided hug, looking mildly embarrassed, and coughs loudly, sticking out his hand. "Hi. I'm Dean."

Inias looks bemused, but reaches out to shake Dean's hand. "Hello, Dean. I'm Inias, Castiel's brother." And suddenly everything is right is Chuck's world again. He's definitely too involved. "I take it you're the boyfriend? Gabriel has told me about you."

Dean looks over at Castiel, standing with his brother, and catches Sam's eye. "Come on, Sammy. Sit down on the bed. You and I have some catching up to do." Sam nods, and they flop down on the bed together, leaving Castiel and Inias still standing, staring at each other.

Castiel breaks the stand-off, and Chuck thinks that that's the first time he's ever seen it happen. "What happened, brother?"

Inias shrugs. "I turned sixteen" Castiel nods. "Got my license and left. Father didn't care what I did, and Hester told me I was being ridiculous running after you, since we haven't heard from you in five years, but I found Gabriel's address, and I knew he'd know where you were." Chuck really wants to know what's up with Castiel's family, because this is writing gold. "So I went to see Gabriel, he gave me a job, and then Sam said he was going to visit his brother in university and that he needed a ride. So here I am. And it is good to see you."

Castiel nods again, and reaches out for Inias, gripping his arm tightly. "It's good to see you too, Inias." Dean and Sam have given up pretending to talk, and are instead staring at the brothers wearing a pair of matching grins, and Chuck doesn't think Sam's stopped smiling since he walked through the door. His face must hurt.

There's a silence in the room, as the moment sinks him. Chuck sneezes. Four pairs of eyes swivel in his direction, and Castiel almost looks embarrassed. "My apologies. Chuck, this is Inias and Sam. This is my roommate, Chuck."

Chuck goes red. He doesn't know what to do with four people staring at him, but manages to choke out a high-pitched "Hi." Eloquent, he thinks. As a writer should be.

"Hello." Sam and Inias call back, in almost perfect unison, and Chuck's a little freaked out, because sixteen is still a kid, and everyone knows it's the kids who get you. But he's forgotten almost immediately as Castiel turns back to his brother.

"Would you like to sit down?" He asks, gesturing at his bed. Sam and Dean budge up at little so the other two can perch on the edge of the bed.

Chuck watches the four of them out of the corner of his eye as they talk, the way they connect with each other, and he realises what it is that his novel is missing. Families. Two boys, two brothers, road-tripping around America. No parents, no rules, and only the boyfriend they pick up on the way. And dragons. Chuck's always thought his story should have dragons


	3. Where Balthazar Comes Back

**A/N:** I'm heading off to Africa on Friday, so in all likelihood this will be the last update for at least two months (I know. I'm missing the start of Season 8. Horror!). I don't imagine I'll get another chapter written before I go, but stranger things have happened. But never fret, because I have more 'chapters' outlined in my Pages document to write when I get home. This nonsense is certainly not over. Anyway, I hope this instalment is enough to tide you over until I get back, and you'll be interested enough to read whatever I write at a later date.

The usual disclaimers apply. I own nothing. All mistakes are my own and spellchecks. Reviews are like the air I need to breath. Or at least to write.

**Summary:** Jealousy is a cruel bitch, particularly when there are ex's involved.

* * *

Dean can't believe his luck. He's only three days into the summer holidays, and he and Cas already have the apartment to themselves. John managed to find himself a job while Dean was away at university and left for work just after sunrise, and Sam cleared off half an hour ago, claiming a study session with some girl named Jessica. Dean knew that if it were him, 'study session' would mean something else entirely, but it being Sam, the nerd would probably pass up what was obviously an invitation for a grope for actual homework.

Anyway, the point is that Dean and Castiel have the apartment to themselves. A whole apartment, and a whole day when they don't have to worry about nosy roommates or judgemental students walking in on them. Dean's mind is positively buzzing with the possibilities, but instead, they're pressed together on the couch watching 'A New Hope,' because despite Dean's constant campaigning to update Cas' pop culture knowledge, he still hasn't seen Star Wars. Dean had complained for a little while - why should they watch movies when they could be having loud sex without the possibility of interruption, in various places around the house - but it was only a token objection. It was actually quite nice to just relax with Cas and not worry about what anyone else who might see thought. His head was resting on Cas' shoulder. He felt a little sick with himself.

University was a little more than Dean had been expecting. Cas had made him study hard as his tutor last year, but that had only been for a few months, not a whole year. He'd been skipping out on extended amounts sleep for most of that time, and now the holidays had started, Dean found himself crashing at the oddest times. Even now, as Luke leaves his home planet to rescue Princess Leia, he feels his eyelids drooping and his cheek pushing harder into Cas' arm. But his potential nap is cut short by a knock at the door.

Dean musters up the most pathetic sounding noise he can. He isn't above using small amounts of emotional blackmail to get out of doing things. He feels, rather than hears, Cas' laughter against his body before he is gently lowered onto the couch as Cas stands up to get the door.

He closes his eyes and feels himself beginning to drift off. Cas would just have to find somewhere else to sit. That was the penalty for being polite.

The spot Castiel just vacated was still a little warm against Dean's cheek, which was a little weird, despite how much he liked the guy. It was probably that that stopped Dean falling asleep right away, and being awake enough to hear Cas opening the door. Dean doesn't know who it could be. They haven't ordered food, and Sam wouldn't knock (how Dean found that out yesterday is an experience neither he, Sam or Cas ever want to have again) but it's possible Gabriel or Inias decided to pay their brother a surprise visit.

Under the effects of alcohol, John is paranoid enough to believe that the fire that killed his wife was deliberately lit, and so outfitted the front door of the apartment with more locks than would be required by most standards. Secretly, Dean doesn't mind, because it keeps his father out when he comes back from the bar too drunk to work the keys. But while Dean is home, he doesn't bother with the locks, so the heavy door creaking open further fights off his rest.

There's a silence for a few seconds, and Dean wonders if Cas is doing his staring thing at whoever answered the door, and creeping them out enough that they don't know what to say. It wouldn't be the first time that happened.

"Hello Cassie." A voice breaks the silence. It's definitely accented, though from those two words Dean can't figure out what it is, something European, and he is instantly alert. After all, there aren't many who would greet Cas with so much familiarity, and Dean's been living in fear that someone in Cas' life before they met would come back and steal him away.

His fears seem to be confirmed seconds later, with Castiel's hushed "Balthazar," and the sound of two bodies meeting.

Dean felt his heart sink into his feet. If Balthazar was here, then he had left university, come halfway around the world and sought Cas out. He'd left Oxford for Castiel, for Christs sakes, so not only was he smart enough to get in, but committed enough to put Cas first. What did Dean have to offer in return other than to be a placeholder in a four year relationship that had hit a rough patch. Dean had known he was never good enough for Castiel, not smart enough, and certainly not stable enough, and really he'd never expected things to last this long.

Dean forces himself to his feet. Obviously, he and Cas are over now, but he'd like to catch Castiel and Balthazar making out in his doorway so he can be the one doing the dumping, not the other way around. It's not that he blames Cas, but that would just be sad.

Dean shuffles slowly to the door, hoping to delay the inevitable, rounding the corner to find Castiel and Balthazar with their arms wrapped around each other. But they aren't kissing, and the hug actually looks a little uncomfortable, Cas' posture as straight as always, but with an added layer of stiffness, and the tall, blond man who can only be Balthazar clutching a little tighter than Dean would deem normal.

Dean coughs loudly, and Cas and Balthazar pull apart, though Balthazar keeps one arm slung around Cas' shoulders. He grins, and immediately Dean wants to punch him in his stupid face. He doesn't get the chance, though, as Balthazar reaches forward with his spare hand and offers it to Dean. "Sorry. Didn't see you there. I'm Balthazar."

Dean takes the offered hand and squeezes it hard as he shakes. "Dean."

Balthazar doesn't flinch. If anything, his smile grows wider. "Ah, yes, the new boyfriend. I see you've downgraded, Cassie. You don't mind if I come in?" This question he seems to be directing at thin air, because before Dean can get out the words "piss off," Balthazar has swept passed him, dragging Cas along next to him. Dean follows.

Balthazar deposits the two of them onto the couch Dean and Cas had happily be curled up in just moments before and turns to the screen where the movie's still playing. Dean sits down as close as he possibly can without actually sitting on Cas. Cas doesn't seem to notice what's going on.

"Star Wars?" Balthazar asks, and he's openly mocking now. "Really, Cassie? What has happened to your tastes without me?"

"Dean likes this movie." Cas replies, and Dean could whoop with joy, because while Cas is obviously shellshocked, he also sounds a little disgruntled. Hopefully Dean can get in a few more relationship moments before Cas decides his ex is obviously better for him.

Balthazar snorts. "Of course he does" and smirks at Dean over Cas' head. Dean wants to launch himself at the man, but Cas is seated between them, so instead he settles on glaring.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering some Thai. It should arrive soon." Balthazar continues, and Dean still doesn't get a chance to growl out a "piss off," because Cas decides he's finished being quiet.

"Why are you here, Balthazar?"

Balthazar's smile falls for a second, and Dean has to resist the urge to stick his tongue out at him because Balthazar looks confused, and Dean's feeling spiteful and childish. But it's soon affixed as confidently as it was before. "What? A guy can't fly halfway around the world to see his first love and not have an ulterior motive?"

Cas levels a glare at Balthazar. Dean sees Cas stare a lot, sometimes he seems to be trying to communicate solely through different intensities of looks, but the only time he's been on the receiving end of that glare, his back had been pressed hard into a brick wall and Cas' hands had been clenched in his jacket and there had been nothing good about that moment. Balthazar seems to have had a similar experience, if the way his face pales is any indication.

"Fine, okay. I wanted you to meet someone." Dean feels all the smugness at the way Cas had been reacting to Balthazar rush away, because there was only one thing that could mean, and Balthazar's parents would probably be as smart as he was, and not a mostly out-of-work drunk like Dean's dad.

Cas seems to accept that explanation, and the stiffness leaves his limbs. His back stays straight, but he leans into Dean so the top of his head is almost brushing Dean's temple. He doesn't, however, shake Balthazar's arm off from where it continues to sit around his shoulders, and Dean can feel Balthazar's fingers digging painfully into his arm.

Well two can play at that game, Dean thinks, and he reaches across to lace his and Cas' fingers together. He tries to make his grab as casual looking as possible, but he leaves their entwined hands on Cas' leg, in full view of Balthazar, and squeezes Cas' hand a little tighter than he planned. Cas looks over at him and smiles, obviously happy, but also slightly bemused. Dean is contemplating the pros and cons of leaning over and planting one of Cas right in Balthazar's smarmy British face (Pros: He gets to plant one. On Cas. Right in Balthazar's smarmy British face. Cons: Cas probably wouldn't have a clue what was going on, because even after a year, he's still not used to spontaneous physical contact) when there's another knock on the door.

"That's probably the food." Balthazar says, and he doesn't sound as smug now. Rather, he seems almost nervous, and Dean has to smirk, because this evening is obviously not going the way he planned. When no one makes a move towards the door, Cas shoots a look Dean's way.

"Aren't you going to get it, Dean?" and Dean really doesn't want to leave Cas alone on the couch with his ex-boyfriend, but he also can't think of an excuse to not go that doesn't make him out to be either jealous or possessive, so he stands and makes his way to the door as fast as he can.

He swings open the door to find a dark-haired man, about the same age as him, standing just off the threshold with a couple of bags of what smells like really good takeaway. Dean reaches into his back pocket to take out his wallet, but before he can, he notices the guy is wearing suit pants and a slightly rumpled white shirt. Certainly more dressed up than any delivery boy ever is, and Dean hesitates for a second, which the man takes as an opportunity to speak.

"Has Balthazar explained everything by now? Only, I'm freezing my arse off standing out here and the food's getting cold." Dean can't do anything but stare. He has no idea what's going on, but the other man doesn't seem to notice. "I'm Crowley, by the way. And I must say, you're nothing like your pictures."

Crowley sticks out his hand for Dean to shake, and Dean takes it. "Dean. And where would you have seen photos of me?"

Crowley looks at Dean like he's too stupid to function. "That was a joke. Obviously I've only seen pictures of Castiel." and then he pauses, taking in Dean's stunned expression, and curses under his breath. " Bloody hell. Balthazar still hasn't told you?" He rolls his eyes, pushes past Dean and strolls into the apartment. Dean follows, feeling like he's an intruder in his own home. All he wanted was a nice night alone with Cas, even if that ended with him falling asleep on the couch watching Star Wars.

"Balthazar, darling, you continue to keep these lovely people in the dark?" Crowley crows as he walks into the lounge area. "Never mind, Dean and I have met, and I suppose I can introduce myself to Castiel too." Crowley sticks out his hand while Balthazar looks on, face as pale as a ghost and mouth opening and closing silently. If Dean could just figure out what was happening, he'd be having a good laugh at him. "Castiel." Crowley continues. "My name is Crowley. I'm Balthazar's boyfriend."

Dean lets out a little squeak of laughter, and that would be embarrassing if anyone else in the room was paying attention to him. Instead, Balthazar seems to be looking everywhere except at the other three occupants of the room, and Cas and Crowley are locked in an epic staring match as Cas stands up slowly and makes his way over to Crowley. He glances down at the other mans hand, but doesn't take it straight away, and Dean knows that Cas is picking his words carefully.

Cas takes Crowley's hand in his own, and then covers the two of them with his other hand, before shaking. "Crowley." He says. "I know nothing about you but your family's reputation. One would hope you are not planning to follow in their footsteps." From anyone else, that would be a question, but Cas makes it sound almost threatening. Crowley's face twitches visibly, but whether that's due to Cas' words, or the fact that his scrawny little boyfriend is a lot stronger than he looks, Dean can't be sure.

Either way, Cas releases Crowley's hand and gestures to the couch. "Won't you have a seat? There is much to discuss." Crowley sits down next to Balthazar, most of his confidence of a few seconds ago gone like it was never there. Balthazar still looks like he is drowning on land, and they are deliberately not touching. Cas seats himself in the armchair angled directly at the couch and looks at the two expectantly. Dean grins and squishes himself into the chair with Cas. They couldn't get much closer if they tried. Dean isn't tired anymore. These surprise guests are turning out to be far more fun than he expected.


	4. With The Wedding

**A/N:** Alright, so first thing, I have absolutely no excuse for how long this took me to write, other than that I suck. And that this chapter sucks, but mostly I suck. So I'm sorry that I lack motivation. Anyway, I'm kind of annoyed that this is the thing I come back with. You ever write something that frustrates you so much, and you just can't get right, that you get to the point where you just can't look at it anymore and you post it so you never have to struggle through writing it again? Well, that's what this chapter is. Sorry. Once day I'll go thorough and edit it and stuff, but today is not that day. Sorry again.

Umm, there is one very brief mention of suicide in here. So this is me, warning you.

The usual disclaimers apply. I own nothing. All mistakes are my own and spellchecks. Reviews are like the air I need to breath. Or at least to write. Make me feel better, please.

**Summary:** Dean and Castiel and a wedding. But neither of them are wearing white.

* * *

The letter is on white paper with a golden trim. It sits open on the table, the words 'you're invited' and 'wedding' seeming to leap from the page, despite the fact they are much smaller than the names 'James Novak' and 'Amelia Smith.' The letter is addressed to Castiel, and Cas is standing on the other side of the small kitchen staring at it like it might burst into flames - or perhaps eat him at any moment - when Dean waltzes into the apartment he returns to whenever he comes home for the holidays.

Dean is immediately on guard, because Cas looks honestly scared, and Cas never lets his fear show. His eyes flick from Cas' face to where his wide eyed gaze is directed, and sees the letter lying open on the kitchen bench. He hesitates before he picks it up. Actually hesitates, as if the small piece of paper could hurt him, because there's only one thing that can make Cas look like he wants to cry and run and fight simultaneously, and that's his family.

His eyes scan the invitation quickly, and a strange feeling rolls around in his chest. It's part happiness, because this could be Cas's family trying to reconnect, and despite the lack of any warm or forgiving feelings he personally has for them, Cas gets this look in his eye when he talks about his family, like he would take them back in a second if they showed even the slightest hint of wanting to reconcile. And it's part anger, because this is Cas' _family_, and from what he's told Dean, this could be their one last big play at him, wanting to humiliate him in public and show once and for all that they're normal, even Jimmy, his identical twin is normal, and Cas is just the freak who could never be helped. Because the invitation says 'and guest,' and they had to know that Cas' guest would be another man.

Dean swallows hard. He knows he has to support Cas in whatever choice he makes here, because no matter what it is, he'll need Dean to get through it.

"You gonna go?" he growls out, overcompensating a little in his attempt to keep his voice normal.

Cas' eyes flick to Dean's face in what honestly could be surprise, as if he hadn't noticed Dean had come in and picked up the invitation, leaving him to stare into empty space. Dean's not sure what the look he sees in Cas' eyes mean, he's not sure he even wants to find out, and when Cas speaks, his voice is unnaturally high pitched. "I don't...I don't understand...Dean, help me."

Dean is panicking now, because Cas sounds lost, and Cas always knows what he wants to do, even when it won't make him happy. He rushes forwards and grabs Castiel by the shoulders, shaking him a little as he does so. "Do you want to go, Cas?"

Castiel's voice drops to a whisper. "I don't know."

Dean shakes him again. "Do you want to see your family again?"

Cas seems more sure of himself now. "I think so."

Dean huffs out a sigh. He can't tell if he's relieved or terrified, but maybe he's a little of both. "Okay. I'm making an executive decision. We're going."

Cas' fierce hug catches him by surprise, because Cas doesn't just hug people. "Thank you, Dean."

-00-

Cas is squeezing Dean's hand so hard, he is afraid his fingers may actually fall off. He and Cas don't do the hand-holding thing all that often, at least not in public, anyway, but Cas had that look in his eye, the one Dean had only seen that time Meg and her low cut dress had cornered him in a hallway after a lecture, that look that said he was likely to start hyperventilating at any moment, and he grabbed his hand on instinct, and because he knows Cas would never ask for even that small comfort.

Dean doesn't regret the gesture, but he's beginning to wonder if he'll get his hand back before he can no longer feel his fingers. It doesn't seem to be the case, though, because he and Cas have been standing in front of the church doors for five minutes now, and Cas hasn't given any indication he's about to walk inside any time soon.

Dean attempts to clench his fingers around Cas', and judging by the way Cas turns to look at him, he seems to feel it, despite the fact Dean wasn't 100% sure his grip had actually changed. Somehow, Cas manages to look twice as scared as he did when Dean found him staring across the kitchen at the open wedding invitation, without his overall expression changing from the one Dean sees on a daily basis. But his chin is raised in that defiant way he gets when he's about to do something he thinks is incredibly stupid, and Dean smiles at him, nods, and squeezes his fingers again.

Castiel strides forwards towards the door in that purposeful way he does, and Dean rushes forward to stand next to him, so they can push the heavy, wooden entrance open together.

The first thing Dean notices as he walks over the threshold is that the church is relatively empty. There can't be more than twenty people seated on the brides side of the aisle, and on the grooms, even less. The second is the sharp stabs of pain he feels in his fingers as Cas relaxes his grip and all the blood rushes back.

Shaking out his hand, Dean casts a quick eye over the guests. He doesn't think he recognises anyone, but seeing as how all the description he has of Cas' family comes from a very quick and basic rundown of who to look out for, any one of those assholes who kicked Cas out of their homes and their lives could be here, waiting for him.

Castiel no longer seems to share his hesitation, however, and walks towards the front of the guests of Jimmy's side. Gabriel and Inias are talking with their heads bent down and close together, which is why Dean doesn't recognise them at first glance, but they look up when he sees Cas open his mouth, and Inias shifts over two seats, Castiel sitting down next to him. Dean follows as fast as he can, trying to avoid all the eyes he knows must be on him right now.

-00-

It's rather uneventful, as far as weddings go. The priest reads some scripture, the bride and groom exchange some vows, Amelia cries a little. Jimmy tears up. Stock standard, as far as Dean is aware. Not that he knows much about how weddings should be, given that the only experiences he's had with them come from the multiple marriages of Dr. Sexy and his coworkers.

At least, that's how Dean remembers it, but he will admit to not having actually paid attention for the most part. Rather, he spens most of the ceremony looking around him at all the guests, waiting to see if any of them are going to come up and make an issue with Cas. But none do, and just as the priest declares Jimmy and Amelia man and wife, Dean happens to look up at the alter and see their faces. He wonders if that's what he looks like when he looks at Cas, and suddenly can't look at the pair of them any more. Instead, he looks at the person next to him, and decides instead to focus on the fact that silent tears are streaming down Gabriel's face, and the intense teasing he'll have to subject him to later.

-00-

Jimmy corners them at the reception. They're huddling together next to the buffet table, simultaneously trying to get as far away from the dancing as possible and as close to the food. They've already eaten an entire platter of surf 'n' turf between the two of them, and are eyeing up a plate filled with tiny cupcakes when a voice cuts through their small bubble of silence. It's higher pitched than Castiel's, but there's no denying that if the owner took a shot of whisky and gravel, or whatever it was Cas does in the mornings to get his voice to sound the way it does, Dean has no idea, then they would sound almost exactly the same. "Still a stress eater I see, Cassie?"

Dean feels Cas tense beside him and looks over to see him standing as straight-backed as usual, but with a look in his eyes that can only be described as terror. Because Jimmy is his twin, his only blood relative, and Cas had said his greatest regret in losing contact with almost the entirety of his family was that Jimmy was mad at him. Dean wants to reach out and grab his hand again, but he's not sure if it's okay, whether Castiel would accept it or pull away. Before he can make a decision, however, Cas slides his usual solemn mask over his face and turns to his brother.

"Certain foods contain various properties which help relax both the body and mind. Some have even been know to stimulate the release of endorphins, making one feel as if they are in love. Eating is a perfectly viable stress release method."

Dean tries not to snicker, because of course Cas would greet his estranged twin brother with some weirdly scientific defence of himself rather than a simple hello, but this seems to be the correct response, because Jimmy bursts out laughing.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you brother?" He claps Cas hard on the shoulder before turning to Dean, and sticking out his hand. "And you must be Dean, correct?" Dean nods. "Brilliant. You both have to meet Amelia."

-00-

Amelia is beautiful, in a straight-laced sort of way, and she and Jimmy look almost sickeningly perfect together, the sweet little couple looking to become part of the sweet little nuclear family. It's amazing how someone who physically looks exactly like Castiel can manage to look so different, because somehow Jimmy is open and clean-pressed and Dean can't imagine Cas looking anything like that. But he likes Amelia straight away. There's no hesitation when she takes both their hands in turn and thanks them for coming to the wedding.

Dean actually has a few minutes of pleasant chat with them about the ceremony before Cas, never one to mince words, interrupts. "Where is the rest of our family?"

Dean stops in the middle of asking Amelia about the reception band, and the two immediately start to gravitate towards each other, trying to fade into the background as Cas stares at Jimmy, and Jimmy stares at the ground. "I didn't invite them."

Cas tilts his head to the side, and asks "Why not?" as if he genuinely couldn't understand why Jimmy wouldn't want to invite those assholes to his wedding.

"Because I got out, okay." Jimmy's not yelling, but he is doing the same thing Cas does when he gets frustrated, projecting his voice so it sounds much louder than it actually is, and they're starting to draw stares. He drops it down to stage-whisper level. "I went to college and I saw them from the outside and I just...I realised..."

His voice fades away, and he looks up to meet Cas' eyes, and seeing something in there that even Dean has trouble reading, he transfers his gaze back to the floor and ploughs on. "Anna was the only thing I had at college. The family didn't want me to go, but they'd lost you, and her and Gabriel and they were losing Inias, all because they wouldn't compromise, so I think they decided to give me a little leeway to show they could be reasonable or something. Anyway, I clung to Anna for a while, and it was great, because she was missing the family but she couldn't go home after leaving, so she was clinging just as hard to me. But then I met Amelia, and we started hanging out more and more and I started spending less time with Anna."

Here, Jimmy takes a huge breath, as if preparing himself. "I don't really know how it happened, but next thing I knew, Anna was making contact Uriel and Michael and somehow father must have gotten involved because one day I turned up at her dorm room and there was nothing there. She left during the night. Didn't say goodbye or anything. Then a few weeks later, Inias turned up, said Anna killed herself and he was leaving the family, and I knew, I knew that they had something to do with it, because Anna had been so happy to be reconnecting with everyone, she would never have done it without them saying something. That's when I realised our family was toxic and poisonous and screwed up, and I haven't talked to any of them for almost a year."

Cas hasn't looked away from Jimmy's face the entire confession, and Jimmy's barely looked up from the floor, but he does now meeting Cas' stare full on, "I wanted to call once I'd figured everything out but I was still so mad at you. I mean, I'm your twin brother, Cassie. How could you not tell me you were gay? We used to tell each other everything and I could feel you pulling further and further away, and then you brought Balthazar home and I thought that's it, I've lost you to some other guy and you didn't even bother to tell me about him"

Then Cas does something Dean did not see coming. He launches himself at his twin, and suddenly they're hugging tightly. Dean's never seen Cas cry, because Castiel doesn't cry, but Jimmy sure does, and it's disturbing to see someone who looks exactly like Cas sobbing quietly into his shoulder, but then he catches a glimpse of Cas' face, and he's got his eyes screwed up tightly. Suddenly Dean thinks he may just cry for him, happy tears, because this is Castiel finally getting his twin back.

-00-

It's amazing, Dean thinks, how the body he's dancing with can feel so different, so unfamiliar, yet look exactly the same. Whereas Cas is surprisingly graceful and easily loses himself in repetitive movements, Jimmy is so obviously not a dancer. He's already stepped on Dean's toes three times in as many minutes, and Dean's seriously considering just cutting his losses, dropping his arms, and hiding out in a corner nursing his pride and his sore feet until Cas comes back.

Jimmy seems to be harbouring similar thoughts, if the way his eyes dart around the room, looking at anything other than Dean's face are any sort of indicator, but they come to rest on something just over Dean's shoulder, and Jimmy's face morphs into a small smile as he tilts his head in the direction of whatever caught his eye.

Dean turns them around, and suddenly it doesn't matter that dancing with Jimmy definitely rates up there in the 'most awkward moments of his life' list, because Cas is spinning Amelia around the dance floor, and his face is set in a huge grin that shows off his teeth and his gums and the crinkle between his eyes and it's perfect.


	5. With The (Not So) Passive Aggression

**A/N:** Umm, so I wrote more of this thing. It's not done yet, even if it seems like it might be because I'm awful and forget to write. So yeah. If anyone still wants to read this, here you go. Also, I wrote 'arse' because sue me, my sensibilities are too delicate to do it any other way.

The usual disclaimers apply. I own nothing. All mistakes are my own and spellchecks. Reviews are like the air I need to breath. Or at least to write.

**Summary:** Dean and Cas don't really fight, but they most certainly do argue.

* * *

Chuck has been rooming with Castiel for almost two years, and in that time he's made an observation. Dean and Castiel don't really fight. Castiel is far too quick to forgive his boyfriend any transgression, and Chuck has the idea that Dean's usual methods of fighting won't work with Castiel. Chuck has seen Dean fight, most recently with Gordon Walker, and it's always a purely physical act - there were no emotions on Dean's face when he punched the other man twice in the stomach after he'd snidely questioned the nature of Dean's relationship with his brother. So Chuck knows Dean fights - with his fists and the power of all the emotions he generally keeps so bottled up that even he can't reach them - but just not with Castiel, and he thinks he understands why. Because Castiel may be a nerdy-looking little dude, but there was that incident with Alistair, which everyone gives Dean credit for, but Chuck knows he had nothing to do with because he was in the dorm room waiting for Castiel. And there's also the fact that 85% of the time when he accidentally walks in on the two making out, Dean is the one being pushed into the mattress.

But the point is that, while Dean as Castiel don't really fight, but they most certainly do argue, and right now it's a bad one. They're still sitting together on the bed, because apparently even when Dean's calling Castiel every name under the sun they still can't be too far apart, but they're not leaning into each other's space the way they usually do and it looks like Castiel is fighting every instinct he has, not jumping up and leaving the room.

They don't even stop to look up as Chuck tries to swing the door open as quietly as he can. He'd heard them arguing from outside the room, and if he had any choice, he wouldn't have bothered to come in, but he doesn't think his creative writing teacher will take 'my room mate was fighting with his boyfriend' as a valid excuse for not handing in his assignment. As it is, Dean and Castiel completely ignore him, so Chuck catches some of their argument.

"Dean, I think you're being unreasonable."

"No, I'm not, Cas. Sammy is my little brother. I can't just let him go off to Stanford. It's too far away. He's just a kid."

"Sam needs to make his own choices. You can't control his life, Dean, he'll only hate you for it."

At this, Dean goes silent, his fists clenching on the bedspread, and Chuck thinks he's about to break his 'no physical violence' streak, but he only sits there glaring, red faced, while Castiel stares blankly back. Chuck leaves quickly, shutting the door perhaps a little too loudly behind him.

-00-

As he heads back to the dorm room that afternoon, Chuck realises that while he didn't exactly understand the argument from that morning, he thinks he knows where it came from. Dean has proven to be almost scarily overprotective of his brother, and while he doesn't know all that much about Castiel's past, what he can gather from whispered conversations over the phone is that his overbearing family drove him away. Obviously, they would have very opposing views of what it is to look out for those you love. Chuck's really liking this new angle - it adds a bit of drama to his story - and is itching to write it down. Castiel has classes for another hour, so he has plenty of time to map out a plot.

However, when Chuck swings open the door to his dorm room, it isn't empty. Castiel is lying sprawled out on his bed, obviously having skipped his lecture. While he normally looks dishevelled, now he's looking downright wrecked - Chuck can see from the fact he's missing any of the telltale signs of crying that he hasn't been, but he's staring sightlessly at the door and giving off the air that he would very much like to be. It seems as if he got halfway ready for bed before giving up and collapsing on the covers because he's got his shirt off, but his pants still on, and Chuck doesn't often see Castiel laid out like this, so he can't help the way his eyes are drawn immediately to Castiel's back.

The first time he'd seen them, Chuck'd been struck speechless, never figuring Castiel for the type, but when he thought about it, it made sense that if someone named after an angel was going to get a tattoo, they would be of wings. They fan out from his spine, along his shoulder blades and down his back, the tips just dipping below the waistline of his pants. When Chuck had finally gotten around to asking about them, Castiel had told him that they and Balthazar were the only things he didn't regret from the year he turned 15 and realised that his family was never going to take him back, and that had been it.

Chuck realises he's staring, but Castiel doesn't seem to have noticed, just watches the door where Chuck came in and Dean obviously left from, and Chuck has no idea what to do. He's never seen anyone react like this before - he knows that if it were him, he'd be drinking away his sorrows by now, or if it were Becky, a girl in his creative writing lecture he kind of has a crush on, she would be channelling all her pain into one of her stories - but Castiel looks like someone gone into shock; someone who has no idea how to deal with what they're feeling.

Chuck's never been one for physical violence, for no other reason than he's a self-confessed wimp, so he's never wanted to hit someone as much as he wants to punch Dean Winchester right now. For whatever reason, Chuck feels extremely protective of his weird, emotionally stunted room mate. He'd definitely get his arse kicked, but Chuck thinks it might actually be worth it. He'd decided long ago that Castiel was sad far too often, and the only times he seemed completely happy were when he was with Dean, so the fact Dean is the cause of his current melancholy is unacceptable.

Chuck approaches Castiel's bed slowly, afraid he might startle him if he makes any sudden movements. Castiel makes no acknowledgement of Chuck's presence until he is standing at the foot of his bed. "Are you alright, Castiel?"

They make only brief eye contact, but Chuck can easily see the depths to which Castiel is not okay. Castiel chooses not to address them, however, replying only "I am fine, Chuck. Thank you for your concern." before he closes his eyes, shutting off the outside world.

-00-

Castiel mopes for days. It is difficult to tell, because there are no outward physical displays of distress after that first afternoon and he goes about his day in almost exactly the same way he did before his fight with Dean, but Chuck notices. Castiel is not what you could call a social butterfly, to any extent of the word, but he had made friends with another boy, named Samandriel of all things, who would sometimes visit their dorm room to discuss theological theory with Castiel and who Chuck hasn't seen for almost a week. More alarmingly, Chuck hadn't seen Dean in that time either, and when Castiel doesn't make his fortnightly phone call to his brothers back in Souix Falls, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Honestly, if Castiel and Dean ever find out that he's writing a book where the main characters were basically them, Chuck thinks they have no right to complain, considering the amount of work he's put into their relationship and helped them sort out their stupid love lives.

Chuck knows he will find Dean in the room he shares with Victor Hendrickson. There was a time in their first year when, unless Dean was sleeping or in class, he could be found in the Chuck and Castiel's dorm room. But ever since Alastair left, Chuck has been left to entertain him less and less while Castiel is busy and yet Dean was still stretched out on his bed when Chuck came back to the room, and Dean and Victor have struck up a close friendship. Which Chuck is infinitesimally grateful for, because Dean turns childish when he's bored, but right now isn't working to his advantage, because he has to talk his way past the very large and intimidating Victor to get to the equally as large and intimidating (no matter how many times he's seen him pout over not getting pie) Dean.

When the door swings open it's Victor standing behind it, and Chuck lets out an almost audible gulp. "I am Castiel's roommate, Chuck" he says, as confidently as he can manage, which, embarrassingly only makes him sound loud and vaguely hysterical. Victor only looks at him with barely concealed concern and Chuck considers fleeing until he hears a sigh coming from inside the room.

"Let him in, Victor." Victor doesn't say anything, but he does roll his eyes and move to the side enough that Chuck can slip past him and catch a glimpse of Dean.

If anything, Dean seems to actually look worse than Castiel. He's lying on his back on his bed staring at the ceiling, and he's pale apart of the dark circles under his eyes. There's even three pizza boxes thrown at the bottom of his bed, and Chuck would be laughing if it wasn't so damn pathetic. He wonders how he was the one who got stuck with such emotionally constipated people, and who thought he was the one who could help.

Chuck doesn't really know what to say, so he just jumps right to it. "You need to talk to Castiel."

Dean blinks. "I know."

"Then why haven't you?"

Dean blinks again. "I don't want to."

Chuck sighs. This wasn't the way he wanted this to go at all. "He didn't call Gabriel this week."

Chuck instantly knows this was the right thing to say, because he has a mental compartment called 'I Know Too Much About Dean Winchester's Love Life Because He Is Whiney' and in it there is the time that Dean told him that he and Castiel were getting down to business and Castiel had stopped them to call his brothers, and Chuck can't give a better indicator of Castiel's mental state then by saying he missed the call this week.

Dean blinks again, and for a spilt second Chuck is scared Dean is going to blow the whole thing off, but instead he rolls out of bed and practically sprints from the room, not even bothering to put on a pair of pants.

Chuck stands still for a little bit, staring at the place Dean so recently vacated, before shaking his head a little and turning to leave the room. When he reaches the door, Victor slaps him on the back, hard enough that he almost topples forward onto his face. "Thanks, man." Chuck only whimpers and scuttles out.

-00-

When Chuck gets back to his room, he realises that Dean has left the door open a crack, whether that was on purpose or not, he doesn't know, but he slides down the wall to sit on the floor and listens in to Dean and Castiel's conversation, which is already nearing it's end.

"I can't lose Sam." he hears Dean say, and his voice sounds tiny.

Castiel sighs in response before replying. "You won't. Not if you let him make his own choices." Dean makes a small sound of protest before Castiel continues, raising his voice slightly. "Besides, Dean, it's not for years, and Sam may change his mind. But either way you have to support him. Because if you don't, you will lose him. He'll never forgive you for holding him back."

There's a few moments of silence, and Chuck holds his breath, listening out for any sounds coming from the dorm room. Then, Dean chokes out an "okay", and he's definitely been crying, before the sounds of the two kissing reaches his ears. Chuck rests his forehead against his knees and grins.

-00-

Castiel finds him later while he's studying him in the library. He doesn't hesitate as he marches up to Chuck and tells his he should find another room to spend the night in. Chuck nods. Castiel and Dean are definitely not allowed to complain when his book is published.


End file.
